--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead of locking people up and throwing…" description: "\"Instead of locking people up and throwing away the key, it's important to invest in them and show them another way - show them what they can do, instea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/q-orianka-kilcher-24045_america_instead-of-locking-people-up-and-throwin_3059145.jpg" --- # Instead of locking people up and throwing away the key… ![“Instead of locking people up and throwing away the key, it's important to invest in them and show them another way - show them what they can do, instead of telling them what they can't do. Because by investing in youth, we're investing into the future of this great nation of the United States of…” quote by Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/q-orianka-kilcher-24045_america_instead-of-locking-people-up-and-throwin_3059145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/q-orianka-kilcher-24045_america_instead-of-locking-people-up-and-throwin_3059145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/q-orianka-kilcher-24045_america_instead-of-locking-people-up-and-throwin_3059145.jpg) > “Instead of locking people up and throwing away the key, it's important to invest in them and show them another way - show them what they can do, instead of telling them what they can't do. Because by investing in youth, we're investing into the future of this great nation of the United States of America.” [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Investing in youth empowerment, than punishment, builds a stronger national future. **In simple terms:** Support youth to shape tomorrow. Key Takeaway Provide opportunities, not incarceration. Themes education youth development social justice future planning Mood hopeful determined Type advocacy policy When to use this quote - schools - after‑school programs - policy reform Key Concepts rehabilitation community investment Questions to Reflect On - How can communities fund youth programs? - What metrics show success of empowerment? A Different Perspective Resources for investment are limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another/) [Another way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-way/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-nation/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Invest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-invest-1077082/) [Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead/) [Invest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invest/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Investing Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing-youth-5123907/) [Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key/) [Key Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-important-2781406/) [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Throwing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throwing/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [United states of america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states-of-america/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) [Youth Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth-investing-5123908/) ## Related quotes > [Individuals are very important but team spirit is the key - it is the most important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/individuals-are-very-important-but-team-spirit-is-the-key-it-is-the/) [Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/) > [It's important that we invest in America - literally. The terrorists wanted to destroy our economy, and we can't let our system fall apart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/it-s-important-that-we-invest-in-america-literally-the-terrorists/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [It's important to invest in our kids who are going to go to college or community college or a trade school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tubbs/it-s-important-to-invest-in-our-kids-who-are-going-to-go-to-college/) [Michael Tubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tubbs/) > [It is important to invest in our people to give them the opportunity to reach their full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshi-khurana/it-is-important-to-invest-in-our-people-to-give-them-the-opportunity/) [Himanshi Khurana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshi-khurana/) > [To gain profit is important, but you must invest to build up assets that you can cash in in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/to-gain-profit-is-important-but-you-must-invest-to-build-up-assets/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) > [It's always important to invest in young talents and the talents of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delphine-arnault/it-s-always-important-to-invest-in-young-talents-and-the-talents-of/) [Delphine Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delphine-arnault/) > [Its always important to invest in young talents and the talents of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delphine-arnault/its-always-important-to-invest-in-young-talents-and-the-talents-of/) [Delphine Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delphine-arnault/) > [It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-not-what-we-have-that-will-make-us-a-great-nation-it-is-the-way/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Religious liberty is the salt and light that has made us the great nation we are in a whole number of ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/religious-liberty-is-the-salt-and-light-that-has-made-us-the-great/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [We are a great nation, which has lot to offer to the world, but to offer something to the world France has to remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-are-a-great-nation-which-has-lot-to-offer-to-the-world-but-to/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [The Australian people want to help build this country into a great nation. This budget... has not realized the capacity of the Australian people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-australian-people-want-to-help-build-this-country-into-a-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A great nation is like a great man...He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-te-ching/a-great-nation-is-like-a-great-man-he-thinks-of-his-enemy-as-the/) [Tao Te Ching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-te-ching/) > [Tell me, why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tell-me-why-is-the-media-here-so-negative-why-are-we-in-india-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And I think that, at some point, I am, as John Lewis and many others, are a bridge-builder. The goal is to bring America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/and-i-think-that-at-some-point-i-am-as-john-lewis-and-many-others-are/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Entrepreneurship is the very back bone of our country and what makes us great - we are a nation of founders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-lublin/entrepreneurship-is-the-very-back-bone-of-our-country-and-what-makes/) [Nancy Lublin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-lublin/) ## More by Q'orianka Kilcher > [You need people around you that care about you and are thinking about you in your best interest. And keep your mind straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/you-need-people-around-you-that-care-about-you-and-are-thinking-about/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [Films are very influential, and I especially feel a responsibility to tell stories that have been pushed aside. Being able to shed light on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/films-are-very-influential-and-i-especially-feel-a-responsibility-to/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [The things I do, I do from the heart and out of love and respect for our planet and all living things. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/the-things-i-do-i-do-from-the-heart-and-out-of-love-and-respect-for/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [My father's Peruvian! I actually have a lot of family in Cuzco. I'm also Swiss, Alaskan, French, Spanish and Italian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/my-father-s-peruvian-i-actually-have-a-lot-of-family-in-cuzco-i-m/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I prefer home-schooling because you can work at your own pace and go towards more what you're interested in, whether it be history or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-prefer-home-schooling-because-you-can-work-at-your-own-pace-and-go/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I hope to contribute to a global warming of hearts and a climate change in human consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-hope-to-contribute-to-a-global-warming-of-hearts-and-a-climate/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > ['Firelight' is a beautiful story about a lot of young women. My character, Caroline, is a girl who has a bad boyfriend, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/firelight-is-a-beautiful-story-about-a-lot-of-young-women-my/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I grew up doing a lot of traveling. My mom left home when she was 15 and traveled to 48 different countries and speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-grew-up-doing-a-lot-of-traveling-my-mom-left-home-when-she-was-15/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [In Peru, if you gave somebody a little chance to do something, they took it to the furthest extent. They took nothing for granted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/in-peru-if-you-gave-somebody-a-little-chance-to-do-something-they/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [My birthday is Feb. 11, and I'm both excited and not excited by it. You'll never be 15 again, and you really, really need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/my-birthday-is-feb-11-and-i-m-both-excited-and-not-excited-by-it-you/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I think it's important for us as a society to remember that the youth within juvenile justice systems are, most of the time, youths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-think-it-s-important-for-us-as-a-society-to-remember-that-the-youth/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I just want to learn even more about my culture and about the Algonquin culture because I fell in love with Pocahontas and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-just-want-to-learn-even-more-about-my-culture-and-about-the/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [Here in L.A., you kind of get stuck in your own little dilemmas and your own little life, and hearing a story like Pocahontas'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/here-in-l-a-you-kind-of-get-stuck-in-your-own-little-dilemmas-and/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [I lose film roles because I'm a person who doesn't keep quiet about certain things. But if my heart tells me something is wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/i-lose-film-roles-because-i-m-a-person-who-doesn-t-keep-quiet-about/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) > [Portraying Pocahontas' story well was important to me because she was a real person and these were real events in her life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/q-orianka-kilcher/portraying-pocahontas-story-well-was-important-to-me-because-she-was/) [Q'orianka Kilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) [Explore all 25 Q'orianka Kilcher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/q-orianka-kilcher/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Instead of locking people up and throwing away the key, it's important to invest in them and show them another way - show them what they can do, instead of telling them what they can't do. 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